The wild counterpart of the domestic cat has a huge territory, with males patrolling up to 175 acres. Domestic cats which have gone wild and are living in remote areas where there is unlimited space also cover impressively large areas. Typical farm cats use nearly as much space, the males ranging over 150 acres. Female farm cats are more modest, using only about fifteen acres on average. In cities, towns and suburbs, the cat population becomes almost as overcrowded as that of the human citizens. The territories of urban cats shrink to a mere fraction of the home range enjoyed by their country cousins. It has been estimated that cats living rough in London, for example, enjoy only about one-fifth of an acre each. Pampered pet cats living in their owners' houses may be even more restricted, depending on the size of the gardens attached to the houses. The maximum density recorded is one pet cat per one-fiftieth of an acre. This degree of variation in the size of feline territories shows just how flexible the cat can be.
